A recent assessment from The Bank of England’s Q3 Credit Conditions report found that “credit availability for smaller firms had improved and was approaching normal levels.” It’s fair to say that in my thirty-plus-years in the financial services industry, I have never seen so much money chasing so few business customers. Whether peer-to-peer lending and crowdfunding or traditional banking channels, SMEs are swamped with lending options. It’s clear, however, that many SMEs don’t want to […]

Some onlookers thought that 2015 would be the year when we might be able to move on from the fallout of the financial crisis, with UK banks finally forgiven for their past misdemeanours. There were positive murmurs from the Government and a clear desire to get on with the vital work of restoring trust and confidence in the financial services sector. Indeed, in his June Mansion House speech, Chancellor George Osborne spoke about the UK […]